Dagster vs Kestra
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted automation & workflows options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Dagster
Data orchestrator for the full development lifecycle
VS
Kestra
Declarative orchestration and scheduling platform
| Feature | Dagster | Kestra |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Automation & Workflows | Automation & Workflows |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Python | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, helm | docker, kubernetes |
| GitHub stars | ★ 15,943 | ★ 27,575 |
| First released | 2019 | 2021 |
| Replaces | AWS Step Functions, Azure Data Factory | Zapier, Make |
Why pick each one
Choose Kestra if…
- Strong for data orchestration
- Scalable architecture
- Open-source license
Frequently asked questions
Is Dagster or Kestra better?
Neither is universally better. Kestra has the larger community, while Dagster is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Dagster and Kestra free and open-source?
Yes. Dagster is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Kestra under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Dagster and Kestra with Docker?
Dagster: yes. Kestra: yes.